Automatic call distribution systems are known, such systems are typically used in an organizational context as a means of distributing telephone calls among agents of the organization. To improve the consistency and quality of call handling, agents are typically segregated into groups to serve particular call targets of the organization.
Often the organization disseminates a single telephone number to its customers and to the public in general as a means of contacting the organization. As calls are directed to the organization from the telephone network, the automatic call distribution system directs the calls to its agents based upon some algorithm, typically based upon availability. For example, where all agents are considered equal, the automatic call distributor may distribute the calls based upon which agent position or telephone has been idle the longest.
Previous solutions that route transactions or calls based on contact center performance statistics such as service level, agent occupancy, and average speed of answer are limited in that they can not be programmed effectively to simulate or route transactions based on timely business key process indicators (KPI) information. Another disadvantage is that existing solutions, although referencing a profit business indicator, do not disclose the usage of a simulation model to determine impacts on KPIs, assignment of routings across multiple business objectives, nor address the overall business cost process in assigning routes to calls. Furthermore, the relationship to business operational objectives, such as a goal to increase sales by a certain percentage, are not directly driven as part of the contact center routing operation such that the results from the contact center could not be automatically calculated together or in combination with information from the business systems.
Determining KPI metrics for a business objective are well known, but their incorporation as a factor in the routing of calls is a previously unexplored field. The article, A Standard for Business Architecture description, IBM SYSTEMS JOURNAL, VOL 38, NO 1, 1999, discusses in general terms the relationships between various business concepts to show how these can be used in an information technology environment but does not teach implementing or incorporating the concepts into equipment for routing transactions. The article, An analytic approach for quantifying the value of e-business initiatives, IBM SYSTEMS JOURNAL, VOL 42, NO 3, 2003, shows the following as meaningful business operational metrics but fails to disclose how these can or should be coupled with contact center call statistics to create call routing decisions: “shareholder value added”, “operating income”, “return on net assets”, “cash to cash cycle time”, “operating profit margin”, “inventory turnover”, “days receivables outstanding”, “days payables”, “on time delivery”, “order to delivery lead time”.
The present invention addresses these and other deficiencies inherent in existing automatic call distribution systems. In one embodiment, there is provided a call distribution system and method that incorporates a simulation model to determine impacts on KPI, assignment of routings across multiple business objectives and addresses the overall business cost process in assigning routes to calls. Another embodiment provides a system for a closed loop simulation of contact center business KPIs objectives and operational objectives by allowing stand alone modeling and scenario analysis to be used indirectly in production and allowing use of true production feedback to improve the model. In another form, a model is provided to simulate or route transactions (calls) based on timely business (KPI) information.
Other variations include, simulation models to account for the relationship to business operational objectives, such as a goal to increase sales by a specific percentage, directly driven as part of the contact center routing operation such that the results/path from the contact center can be automatically calculated together or in combination with information from the business systems. In one form, it is desirable that a programmable model be used that has two modes. One mode that allows entry of a model and one that allows only for altering simulation values to prevent changes to the structure of the model. As the model that can be created may be unique for each business structure, a variety of model configurations are possible.